The End is Just the Beginning
by E. Nosidame
Summary: Another alternate ending to the series. Life is precious and every moment with those you love must be cherished. Tracy still gets sick, and on the day Ted tells their children how he met their mother, she has her final doctor's appointment. TedXTracy, RobinXBarney, LilyXMarshall. Please read and review. Will be a two or three shot.
1. Chapter 1

**So, like many others, I strongly disliked the finale. I could rant on and on about it but this is neither the time nor the place to do so! This FanFic is based on a theory I had read a few days before the finale, and had the show ended this way, I would have been really happy with it. Anything in **_**italics**_** is verbatim from the show, and therefore, I do not own it. Then again, I don't own any part of HIMYM, except eight seasons of DVDs and a yellow umbrella. HIMYM belongs to CBS and Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. **

**P.S. I made Lily and Marshall's third child a girl and named her Rose (keeping with the flower theme).**

"_It was at times a long and difficult road, but I'm glad it was long and difficult because if I hadn't gone through hell to get there, the lesson might not have been as clear. You see, kids, right from the moment I met your mom, I knew I had to love this woman as much as I can for as long as I can and I can never stop loving her, not even for a second. I carried that lesson through every fight we had ... and I carried it with me when she got sick.__"_

Ted Mosby paused. He closed his eyes only for a moment, taking himself back seventeen years to the first time her laid eyes on the love of his life, and then took a deep breath, and continued.

"_Even then, in what can only be called the worst of times, all I could do was thank God, every God there is or every was or will be, and the whole universe and everyone else I could possibly thank, that I saw that beautiful girl on that train platform, and that I had the guts to stand up and walk up and tap her on the shoulder and open my mouth and speak."_

"And that, kids, is how I met your mother," Ted said.

"Does that mean this story is finally over?" Luke whines.

"I thought it was sweet," Penny said. "It was way too long, and included an annoying number of details, but sweet."

"Sure, whatever," Luke says. "I'm going to go get a sandwich."

"Luke Mosby," Tracy Mosby said as she entered the living room. "If you spoil your dinner-"

"I won't!" Luke told his mother. "But I feel like I haven't eaten in nine years!"

"Yeah," Penny added. "Dad told us the story of how you two met."

"It was at a train station in Farhampton, right after your Aunt Robin and Uncle Barney got-" Tracy started.

"We know the story!" Luke and Penny said at the same time.

Tracy came up behind her husband and perched herself on his desk. "Are you just about ready to go?"

Ted picked up his wife's hand kissed it. "I am. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Tracy said. "But just because I've been feeling better these last couple week doesn't mean I'm totally clear. Things like this get better before they get worse."

"It's been six years," Ted said. "You'll be given a clean bill. I know you will."

Tracy smiled and leaned down and kissed her husband. "Let's get going, then."

With Penny in charge of her brother until her parents got back, the Mosby's got in their car and made their way into the city to see Tracy's oncologist. Today, they would know once and for all if Tracy was cancer free or not.

They pulled into the parking lot, and as Ted put his driving gloves in the glove compartment, he said, "Moment of truth."

Twenty minutes later, the doctor came into their room, and opened up Tracy's file. "Well, Mrs. Mosby, we got the results of your tests back. IT seems you are, in fact, in remission. We'll continue to monitor you, but for now, you're as healthy as can be."

Tracy threw her arms around her husband and Ted buried his head in her neck. Tracy did not even bother to try and retain her tears of happiness.

"We're home!" Ted called as he opened the door. Penny came rushing down the stari immediately, and Luke popped out of the kitchen.

"Well?" Penny asked nervously.

"What did the doctor say?" Luke added.

"I'm in remission," Tracy answered.

Both kids hurled themselves toward their mother, and the family of four embraced in a group hug. They had waited six long years for this moment, and now it was finally here.

"What time is everyone coming?" Luke asked once the hug was over.

"Aunt Lily, Uncle Marshall, Marvin, Daisy, and Rose will be here any minute, but Uncle Barney and Ellie will be late because they are going to pick up Aunt Robin from the airport," Ted answered.

"Where was she this time?" Luke asked.

"Paris, I think," Tracy said.  
"She was in Paris," Penny confirmed. "She sent Ellie this gorgeous purse that-"

Penny was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Ted opened the door to reveal his longtime best friends and their three tall, red haired children.

"Come on in," Ted welcomed.

The kids headed upstairs while the adults went into the kitchen. "I told the kids the entire story of how I met their mother today." Ted said.

"And how long did that take?" Lily asked.

"Only a little while," Ted replied.  
"Oh, please," Tracy said. "You kept them trapped in the living room for hours."

"It wasn't hours," Ted said. "It was like, an hour and a half."

"And I bet it still doesn't beat the story of how Lily and I met," Marshall said.

When the doorbell rang again, all four adult went to greet their other friends. But when Ted opened the front door, the quartet was surprised by what they saw.

**So there is chapter one of maybe two or three. Who wants to guess what the surprise is?! Drop a review and let me know what you think and what your predictions are. Chapter two will (hopefully) be up soon. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the long awaited chapter 2! Thanks so much for all the kind reviews! Keep them coming! I don't own any part of HIMYM, except eight seasons of DVDs and a yellow umbrella. HIMYM belongs to CBS and Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. **

Standing on the Mosby's front porch was Barney, Robin, and Ellie, who was holding a massive wrapped present.

"What have you got there?" Lily asked.

"It's Penny's birthday gift!" Ellie exclaims.

"I was in Paris for her birthday, but there was no way I was going to miss seeing Penny open this," Robin says.  
"It is the most legend- wait-for-it -dary gift ever!" Barney says.

"What did you get my daughter?" Ted asks.

Tracy ushered everyone into the living room and called the kids downstairs.

"Is that for me?" Rose asks excitedly.

"No, it's for Penny!" Ellie squeals.

"No way," Penny says. "What is it?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?" Barney asked.

Penny gave her Aunt Robin and Uncle Barney a puzzled look before kneeling down in front of the box and ripping off the purple wrapping paper and exposing a card board box. Marshall took out his keys and used them to slice open the tape. Penny reached into the box excitedly and pulled out a gift bag with 'Happy 16th Birthday!' printed on the side.

She tossed the tissue paper to her mother, only to find another wrapped box in the bag. She unwrapped the box, opened it up and pulled out a blue velvet drawstring pouch. She untied the strings and pulled out a key.

A car key.

"Oh my goodness! You got me a car!" Penny screams. She throws her arms around Robin and Barney and yells, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"You got my sixteen year old a car?!" Ted fumed.

"She's my goddaughter," Barney says with a shrug. "Plus, look how happy she is!"

Tracy was able to calm down her husband as the rest of the group went outside to see Penny's new car. The car was used, but it was new to her. As the kids ooed and ahhed at the car, the adults watched from the top of the driveway.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," Tracy told Barney and Robin.

"Of course not," Robin says. "But we're family. And family goes all out."

Robin was right. They weren't friends; they were family. They were together for all the moments, big and small. And they would be family forever.

**And that's that. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
